Inflatable device

ABSTRACT

An inflatable device, such as a sport ball, includes a tubular elastomeric member inserted into and attached to a rubber carcass and having a valve slit at a bottom wall thereof. A tubular rigid stem is inserted into a receiving hole in the elastomeric member and is spaced apart from the valve slit so as not to deform the valve slit. The rigid stem confines a passage communicating with the valve slit to admit ambient air into the carcass via the passage and the valve slit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates to an inflatable device, such as a sport ball or a tyre, more particularly to an inflatable device with an inflating mechanism.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional inflatable sport ball is shown to include a rubber carcass 110, and an inflating valve 200 secured in a rubber wall 120 in the carcass 110. The inflating valve 200 has a valve slit 230 for insertion of an inflating needle (not shown) therethrough. The inflating needle is connected to a pump so as to inflate the ball. Then, the inflating needle is withdrawn from the valve slit 230 which self-seals to maintain the air pressure in the ball. The drawback of the conventional ball resides in that an inner peripheral wall of the valve 200 is susceptible to wearing in the event of inaccurate or repeated insertion of the inflating needle. Moreover, the inflating operation is inconvenient to conduct since an inflating needle is needed.

[0005] To solve the above problems, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, U.S. pat. No. 6,287,225 B1 shows a self-contained sport ball inflation mechanism for inflating or adding air pressure to a sport ball 100. The mechanism includes a cylinder 310 attached to a carcass 110 of the ball 100, a cap 311 disposed in the cylinder 310, a piston 320, an O-ring seal 322, a piston rod 321 and a spring 330 disposed in the cylinder 310. At a bottom of the cylinder 310 there is a one-way valve 350 of a duckbill-type. The spring 330 forces the piston 320 and the piston rod 321 down into the cylinder 310 so that the piston rod 321 is pulled up against the spring force of the spring 330. A flip-up pull ring 340 is connected to an upper end of the piston rod 321, and is flipped down so as to be covered with a flap cover 130 of the ball 100. Although air can be pumped into the ball 100 by means of the mechanism, the one-way valve 350 of the duckbill type will not self-seal and leakage owing to overpressure in the ball 100 is likely to occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide an inflatable device which can prevent wearing of an inner wall of a valve mechanism when inflated, and which can be maintained in an inflated state even when overpressure in the device occurs.

[0007] According to this invention, the inflatable device includes a carcass having an inner layer surface, an outer layer surface opposite to the inner layer surface, and an inner peripheral wall surface extending from the inner layer surface along an axis through the outer layer surface and confining an inlet hole. A tubular elastomeric member of a single piece construction, is inserted into the carcass via the inlet hole, and includes a bottom wall with a valve slit which extends therethrough in an axial direction parallel to the axis, and a tubular wall which extends from a periphery of the bottom wall toward the inner peripheral wall surface to terminate at an upper surrounding end to be secured relative to the inner peripheral wall surface and which surrounds the axis to form a first inner surrounding wall surface that confines a receiving hole to communicate with the valve slit. A tubular rigid stem is inserted into the receiving hole in the axial direction from the upper surrounding end, and has an outer surrounding wall surface which abuts against the first inner surrounding wall surface and which has upper and lower ends distal and proximate to the bottom wall respectively. The lower end is spaced apart from the valve slit in the axial direction. A second inner surrounding wall surface of the tubular stem confines a passage which communicates with the valve slit and the inlet hole so as to admit air into the carcass via the passage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a conventional inflatable sport ball;

[0010]FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate another conventional inflatable sport ball;

[0011]FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of a preferred embodiment of an inflatable device according to this invention;

[0012]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a valve mechanism of the preferred embodiment; and

[0013]FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing another embodiment of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that same reference numerals have been used to denote like elements throughout the specification.

[0015] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the preferred embodiment of the inflatable device according to the present invention is shown to comprise a rubber carcass 110, such as that of a sport ball. The carcass 110 has an inner layer surface 1101, an outer layer surface 1102 opposite to the inner layer surface 1101, and an inner peripheral wall surface 1103 which extends from the inner layer surface 1101 along an axis through the outer layer surface 1102 and which confines an inlet hole 1104.

[0016] A valve mechanism 400 includes a tubular elastomeric member 420, a tubular rigid stem 410, and a rigid tubular holding member 430. The elastomeric member 420 has a single piece construction and is made of a rubber material. The elastomeric member 420 is inserted into the carcass 110 via the inlet hole 1104, and includes a bottom wall 425 which has a valve slit 424 extending therethrough in an axial direction parallel to the axis, and a tubular wall 422 which extends from a periphery of the bottom wall 425 toward the inner peripheral wall surface 1103 of the carcass 110 to terminate at an upper surrounding end 426 and which surrounds the axis to form a first inner surrounding wall surface 4221 confining a receiving hole 423 that communicates with the valve slit 424. An annular flange 421 extends outwardly and in radial directions from the upper surrounding end 426 and is secured to a rubber mounting sleeve 120 on the inner layer surface 1101 adjacent to the inlet hole 1104.

[0017] The tubular rigid stem 410 is made of a rigid plastic material more rigid than that of the elastomeric member 420, and is inserted into the receiving hole 423 in the axial direction from the annular flange 421. The rigid stem 410 has a first outer surrounding wall surface 411 which abuts against the first inner surrounding wall surface 4221 of the elastomeric member 420, and which has upper and lower ends that are disposed opposite to each other in the axial direction and distal and proximate to the bottom wall 425 of the elastomeric member 420, respectively. The lower end of the first outer surrounding wall surface 411 is spaced apart from the valve slit 424 in the axial direction so as to maintain the sealing effect of the valve slit 424. The tubular stem 410 further has a second inner surrounding wall surface 414 opposite to the first outer surrounding wall surface 411 in the radial directions relative to the axis and which surrounds the axis. The second inner surrounding wall surface 414 confines a passage 412 which communicates with the valve slit 424 and the inlet hole 1104 so as to admit air into the carcass 110 via the passage 412. An annular abutting wall 413 is integrally formed with and extends outwardly and in the radial directions from the upper end of the first outer surrounding wall surface 411 to be superimposed on the annular flange 421. The annular abutting wall 413 is attached securely on the inner peripheral wall surface 1103 and is flush with the outer layer surface 1102 of the carcass 110.

[0018] The tubular holding member 430 is made of a rigid plastic material, and includes a holding wall 431 which is sleeved on the elastomeric member 420, and an annular lower flange 432 which is secured in the mounting sleeve 120 so as to hold and secure the elastomeric member 420 and the tubular rigid stem 410 to the mounting sleeve 120.

[0019] During inflation, an inflating needle (not shown) can be inserted into and through the passage 412 and the valve slit 424. By guidance of the rigid stem 410, the inflating needle can be inserted accurately, and does not come into direct contact with the first inner surrounding wall surface 4221 of the elastomeric member 420 so as to avoid wearing of the elastomeric member 420. In addition, the rigid stem 410 can prevent deformation of the elastomeric member 420 and the valve slit 424 once the carcass 110 is subjected to overpressure.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 6, the inflatable device of another embodiment according to this invention is shown to further include a pump mechanism which is disposed in the carcass 110 and which is similar that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as described hereinbefore. The pump mechanism includes a cylinder 510 with a second outer surrounding wall surface which has an upper end portion that is secured sealingly on the inner peripheral wall surface 1103 of the carcass 110, and a third inner surrounding wall surface surrounding the axis and having a lower end portion that is opposite to the upper end portion in the axial direction. The annular flange 421 of the elastomeric member 420 and the annular abutting wall 413 of the tubular rigid stem 410 are disposed sealingly on the lower end portion of the cylinder 510 and cooperate with the third inner surrounding wall surface to confine an accommodation space. The tubular holding member 430 is disposed to secure the elastomeric member 420 to the third inner surrounding wall surface of the cylinder 510. A piston member includes a piston rod 521 and a piston 520 which are disposed in the accommodation space and which are operable to move along the axis to pump ambient air through the passage 412 and the valve slit 424 and into the carcass 110. As such, there is no need to insert an inflating needle into the valve mechanism 400 during inflation of the carcass 110 so as to avoid wearing of the valve mechanism 400.

[0021] While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements. 

I claim:
 1. An inflatable device comprising: a carcass having an inner layer surface, an outer layer surface opposite to said inner layer surface, and an inner peripheral wall surface extending from said inner layer surface along an axis through said outer layer surface and confining an inlet hole; a tubular elastomeric member of a single piece construction, inserted into said carcass via said inlet hole, and including a bottom wall having a periphery and a valve slit which extends therethrough in an axial direction parallel to the axis, and a tubular wall extending from said periphery of said bottom wall toward said inner peripheral wall surface and surrounding the axis to form a first inner surrounding wall surface which confines a receiving hole that communicates with said valve slit, said tubular wall terminating at an upper surrounding end which is disposed to be secured relative to said inner peripheral wall surface; and a tubular rigid stem made from a material more rigid than that of said elastomeric member, and inserted into said receiving hole in the axial direction from said upper surrounding end, said rigid stem having a first outer surrounding wall surface which is dimensioned to abut against said first inner surrounding wall surface, and which has upper and lower ends that are disposed opposite to each other in the axial direction and distal and proximate to said bottom wall respectively, said lower end being spaced apart from said slit in the axial direction, said tubular stem further having a second inner surrounding wall surface opposite to said first outer surrounding wall surface in radial directions relative to the axis and surrounding the axis, said second inner surrounding wall surface confining a passage which communicates with said valve slit and said inlet hole so as to admit air into said carcass via said passage.
 2. The inflatable device of claim 1, wherein said elastomeric member further includes an annular flange extending outwardly and in the radial directions from said upper surrounding end and secured to said inner layer surface adjacent to said inner peripheral wall surface.
 3. The inflatable device of claim 2, further comprising an annular abutting wall which is integrally formed with and which extends outwardly and in the radial directions from said upper end of said first outer surrounding wall surface of said rigid stem so as to be superimposed on said annular flange.
 4. The inflatable device of claim 3, wherein said annular abutting wall is attached securely on said inner peripheral wall surface and is flush with said outer layer surface.
 5. The inflatable device of claim 4, further comprising a rigid tubular holding member disposed in said carcass to hold and secure said elastomeric member and said tubular rigid stem to said inner layer surface.
 6. The inflatable device of claim 2, further comprising a pump mechanism including a cylinder having a second outer surrounding wall surface which has an upper end portion that is secured sealingly on said inner peripheral wall surface, and a third inner surrounding wall surface which surrounds the axis and which has a lower end portion that is opposite to said upper end portion in the axial direction, said annular flange being disposed sealingly on said lower end portion to cooperate with said third inner surrounding wall surface to confine an accommodation space, and a piston member disposed in said accommodation space and operable to move along the axis to pump ambient air which is drawn into said cylinder, through said valve slit and into said carcass. 